Drain assister



Aug 1948- B. A. HOWER 2,446,930

DRAIN ASSISTER Filed July 5, 1945 Patented Aug. 10. 1948 Nl'l'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAIN ASSISTER Bruce A. Hower, Gary, Ind.

Application July 3, 1945, Serial No. 603,018

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to means for assisting in the drainage of the basilic vein of a cadaver or corpse.

An object of this invention is to provide an arm supporting means for supporting one arm of the cadaver in desired upraised position so as to permit cutting and draining of the basilic vein during the embalming operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which can be mounted upon the embalming table beneath the body and includes an adjustable saddle extending from the table which is adapted to be vertically adjusted in order to provide for supporting the arm in its desired upraised position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which is simple in construction and which can be applied to the table without attachment of any kind so that the present construction of the table will not be affected thereby.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangements of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation partly broken away of an embalming table having a drain assistor constructed according to this invention mounted thereon,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l' designates generally an embalming table which includes a top H carried by a vertically adjustable standard l3. During the embalming of the body, the latter is laid on the table top II. The embalming operation includes draining of fluid from the basilic vein, which is located in the armpit and requires the raising and holding of the arm in its raised position during the draining operation.

In order to provide a simple means for raising and firmly holding the arm in its raised position, I have provided a base plate [2 which is adapted to be inserted beneath the shoulders of the body and engages on the upper side of the table H. The plate l2 in end elevation is of wedge-shape with the thinner end thereof outermost so that it may be readily forced between the body and the top of the table II. An elongated bar I4 is secured to one edge of the plate 2 at the large end thereof and extends from the plate l2, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The bar I4 is polygonal in transverse section and has slidably mounted thereon a slide member l5. The slide member l5 includes a. bored bushing l6, which is formed with a vertical bore I! which is at right angles to the polygonal bore l8 through which the bar I4 is extended.

The slide member I5 is adapted to be secured in adjusted position lengthwise of the bar It by means of a set screw [9. An arcuate supporting saddle 20 is disposed in upright position and has secured thereto a vertically disposed shaft 2i. The shaft 2| is adjustable in the vertical bore I! of the bushing l6 and tightly secured in adjusted position by means of a clamp 22. The saddle 20 is provided with at least a pair of threaded openings 23 in one arm 24 thereof through a selected one of which an arm clamping screw 25 is threaded.

In the use of this device the base I2 is forced between the body and the table top H, being extended beneath the body to a point whereby the bar M will be firmly held in extended position from the adjacent end of the table top H. The arm is then raised and placed in the concave side of the saddle 20. The saddle 20 is vertically adjusted to dispose the arm rest therein in the desired upwardly inclined position by vertical adjustment of the shaft 2|. It will, of course, be understood that the supporting device for the arm may be extended from one side of the table rather than from one end, as this latter position will provide for holding the arm in a position whereby the basilic vein may be properly and thoroughly drained. After the draining operation has been completed the arm is removed from the saddle 20 and the supporting structure is then removed from the table top I l.

The exact configuration illustrated is regarded as the optimum, but some of the desirable results inherent in this disclosure may be obtained by various slight modification including some departure from the exact configuration shown, and it is therefore requested that the scope of the invention should be regarded as limited only by the terms of the claim. 7

What I claim is:

An arm supporting means for a cadaver comprising a plate for positioning beneath the cadaver, an elongated arm extending horizontally from said plate and having a polygonal configuration in transverse section, a sleeve formed with a polygonal bore slidable along said arm, means locking said sleeve in adjusted position, a laterally projecting lug carried by said sleeve formed with a vertically disposed opening, 5 a vertically disposed saddle supporting bar engaging through said opening, means securing said bar in adjusted position, a saddle carried by the upper end of said bar, and an arm clamping screw threaded through one side of said saddle for 10 binding an arm thereon. BRUCE A. HOWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Streeter Apr. 19, 1892 Heinz May 29, 1923 Heinz -1 Dec. 17, 1929 Chalfant 1 Apr. 7, 1931 Starbuck July 14, 1936 Fisher Feb. 9, 1937 

